Mercer and Auglaize county COVID-19 cases

Daily numbers are cumulative, except for hospitalizations. District officials report hospitalizations as the total number of people currently hospitalized, noting that when a person is discharged he or she is removed from the hospitalization total. Hospitalized patients remain in the COVID-19-positive total count.

Mercer County has started to released some demographic information on confirmed cases:

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mercer county communities

Confirmed COVID-19 cases by ethnicity in Mercer County

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mercer county businesses

Ohio COVID-19 cases

New cases each day in Ohio050010003-083-103-123-143-163-183-203-223-243-263-283-304-014-034-054-074-094-114-134-154-174-194-214-234-254-274-295-015-035-055-075-095-115-135-155-175-195-215-235-255-275-295-316-026-04New CasesNew HospitalizationsNew ICUNew DeathsTotal cases each day in Ohio050001000015000200002500030000350003-083-103-123-143-163-183-203-223-243-263-283-304-014-034-054-074-094-114-134-154-174-194-214-234-254-274-295-015-035-055-075-095-115-135-155-175-195-215-235-255-275-295-316-026-04Total CasesTotal HospitalizationsTotal ICUTotal Deaths

Community pictures

Sidewalk Art

Tuesday, April 21st

Brennan Stachler, a fourth grader from St. Henry, worked to create this sidewalk art for two solid days.

Submitted by: Nikki Moor.

Photo submissions encouraged

The Daily Standard invites local residents to share their photos of local people, events and scenes. If you have a photo you think would interest our readers, email it to newsroom@dailystandard.com. By emailing a photo, you confirm you own the rights to the image and grant us the right to use it or not use it as we see fit in print, on our website, through social media or other means.

Symptoms of COVID-19 versus common cold and flu

People can protect themselves against COVID-19 by washing their hands often, covering their mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing and frequently cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. They should also avoid close contact and stay at least 6 feet away from others.

People should consult their medical provider for any symptoms that are severe or concerning.

CELINA - A COVID-19 outbreak was reported at The Gardens at Celina on Thursday, and three new cases raised the county's total to 221.

One new confirmed case was reported in Auglaize County, raising that county's total to 70.

Five confirmed cases are connected to the outbreak at The Gardens at Celina. Three involve staff, and two involve residents, according to a Mercer County Health District news release on Thursday. The facility has 13 pending test results. [More]

CELINA - City officials have decided to open Bryson Pool on June 6 but on a limited, private-party-only basis to comply with state COVID-19 pandemic directives, city safety service director Tom Hitchcock said.

They also on Wednesday afternoon reopened Huffy pond in Eastview Park, which contains a beach area. Yet the city is not allowed to turn on the splash pads at either Bryson Pool or the Bryson Park District along Lake Shore Drive or allow access to playground equipment, per state orders. [More]

Mercer County no longer has the lowest unemployment rate in the state.

Pandemic-caused job losses caused Mercer County to drop from the state's lowest rate of unemployment to 14th in a three-way tie with Clermont and Fairfield counties. Mercer County had maintained the lowest unemployment rate in the state since March 2016. [More]

COLDWATER - A Coldwater manufacturer of customized packaging will soon crank out 2 million isolation gowns a month for health care providers, assisted-living centers and other businesses in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Coldwater is home to one of Novolex's nine North American facilities that are mass-producing personal protective equipment being shipped across the nation, said Galen Killam, a senior technology and product manager. [More]

Ohio's top leaders said Thursday that low-impact sports leagues and other activities will resume later this month. Yesterday, Gov. Mike DeWine's office released a list of mandatory safety guidelines to follow for the youth baseball and softball seasons. [More]

ST. HENRY - Of the 79 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mercer County, 24 are currently employed by the Cooper Farms Processing Plant in St. Henry, according to a news release from the Mercer County Health District on Saturday.

The plant employs approximately 700 people, and infected employees make up 4% of the workforce at that location, according to Kristy Fryman, public information officer at the health department. [More]

Mercer County jail inmates have been spared so far, thanks in part to strict protocols enacted almost two months ago, sheriff Jeff Grey said. One law enforcement employee, though, had tested positive for the coronavirus but has since recovered and returned to duty. [More]

As students begin to tire of being stuck indoors with school classes canceled and businesses shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the state offers an option to remind them of the great outdoors.

People looking to explore the great outdoors or simply looking for kid-friendly activities as summer break begins, can check the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's Digital Discoveries page for ideas. [More]

ST. MARYS - When Gov. Mike DeWine first ordered schools to switch to remote learning, Amy Wenning had thought it would last only a few weeks.

The fourth-grade math teacher at West Intermediate School in St. Marys, along with other teachers, put together assignments for her students - just enough to get them through the initial period. [More]

CELINA -The Mercer County Health District reported four new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, urging residents to continue social distancing as a string of new cases has raised the county's total of confirmed cases to 30.

The health department on Saturday reported the 27th confirmed case of COVID-19 is a woman from the age of 30-40 years old who is self-isolating at home. [More]

COLUMBUS (AP) - Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday issued an appeal for Ohioans to stick together as the state slowly reopens, underscoring a point he has made multiple times in recent days: that it's possible to restart the economy and keep people safe at the same time. [More]

CELINA - Megan Sites, a local nurse and mother who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, is back home and looking forward to a return to normalcy, though she acknowledged that process will probably take time.

COLUMBUS (AP) - Gov. Mike DeWine's first steps toward reopening the state after more than a month of strict stay-at-home orders will require masks for workers and shoppers, while giving hope for businesses eager to open their doors again and indefinitely putting off Ohioans' return to restaurants, barbershops and gyms. [More]

The closing of schools and restaurants due to COVID-19 has created uncertainty in an already volatile dairy market, causing dairy farmers throughout the nation including those locally, to prepare for the worst.

CELINA - Elections officials have kept busy working behind the scenes the last few weeks to prepare for Tuesday's in-person absentee vote to complete the March 17 primary election.

Gov. Mike DeWine's administration had ordered the closing of in-person polls on March 17 - the day originally designated as the state's primary election day - to halt the spread of the coronavirus. [More]

WAPAKONETA - Five more people in Auglaize County have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the county's total to 28, and one more person in Mercer County has tested positive, bringing it's total to 14.

Health commissioner Oliver Fisher said he does not believe the new cases represented a related outbreak. With increased testing and new testing criteria, an increase in the number of cases is to be expected, he noted. [More]

On a day when the 2020 spring sports season was officially canceled, schools all over Ohio paid tribute to high school seniors.

The lights at area football, baseball, softball, track and soccer stadiums were turned on Monday night to honor those seniors who lost the final portion of their school year due to the state shutting down buildings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [More]

WAPAKONETA - An 82-year-old woman is the second person to die of COVID-19 in Auglaize County.

According to a news release posted on the Auglaize County Health Department's Facebook page Saturday, the woman was being treated at a local hospital. No further information was released by the health department. [More]

County officials are keeping a wary eye on the economic fallout local governments face from the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown of large parts of the economy.

Mercer County had been on pace for another bumper year of sales tax collections when Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's stay-at-home directive brought much of the local economy to an abrupt halt, county auditor Randy Grapner said. [More]

Local food banks are responding to increased demand with limited resources as the coronavirus pandemic continues across the U.S.

CALL Ministries executive director Homer Burnett said the Celina nonprofit has had to drastically reduce its services. While CALL usually offers eight services such as a clothing pantry and weekly hot meal program, the ministry has had to shutter all but the food pantry, which has had its hours slashed. [More]

CELINA - The family of a young mother who was hospitalized with COVID-19 and forced to deliver her baby weeks before her due date has a message for others: This disease is real, it's scary and it can affect even the young and healthy.

Sandy Jeffries hopes that by sharing the story of her daughter, Megan Sites, others will begin to take shelter-in-place and social distancing orders more seriously. [More]

CELINA - Local accountants are conducting business as usual during this extended tax season, though in a slightly different manner.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline to file personal tax returns has been extended to July 15, according to Matt. J. Muhlenkamp, a CPA and financial adviser at Muhlenkamp & Associates, Celina. The extension is for federal, state, school and city taxes. [More]

The following grocery stores are offering various special services amid the novel coronavirus pandemic:

• Friendly Market, 725 W. Logan St., Celina, is designating 11 a.m.-noon each day for people 50 or older and those considered at-risk to shop, according to a store employee. The store is also offering delivery every day for an additional $5. [More]

CELINA - Social distancing is expected to slow the spread of the coronavirus and in turn save countless lives.

Yet for those battling mental illness and substance abuse, that isolation is a bitter pill to swallow as it runs counter to their efforts to build and tap into a support network in times of weakness, self-doubt and temptation. [More]

CELINA - Many people are feeling the blues after being cut off from friends and family members under Ohio's stay-at-home order.

Grady Jackson of Celina was one of them as his birthday inched closer and closer, knowing this year he wouldn't be able to celebrate the special day with his pals due to social distancing guidelines. [More]

CELINA - A 71-year-old Mercer County man became the first local person to die from the coronavirus, health officials reported.

Mercer County Health District officials announced the death in a news release on Friday evening. The man had been hospitalized and was the first person in the county to test positive for the virus. No further information about the man will be released to respect his family's privacy, according to the release. [More]

CELINA - A hometown company is harnessing its wellspring of ingenuity to churn out new products to protect retail workers, health care professionals and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

YORKSHIRE - Seeking out a new medical experience, Premier Health X-ray technician Lauren Bohman landed her first travel assignment in New Orleans.

Little did the 24-year-old Versailles High School graduate know her eight-week placement in The Big Easy's second-largest hospital would put her on the front line of a hellish, unfathomable pandemic with sickened patients descending upon the emergency room in droves. [More]

CELINA - Mercer County Health District officials have reported two new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing Mercer County's total number of positive cases to four.

Auglaize County officials also reported a new case, bringing its total to three.

The Mercer County district reported the third positive patient is a woman between 30 and 40 and the fourth is a woman between the ages of 20 and 30. Both are in self-isolation at home, according to Kristy Fryman, district public information officer. [More]

Ohio High School Athletic Association Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass has been the public face at state tournaments in presenting trophies and honoring teams.

Of late, it has also meant making announcements and answering questions about the status of high school sports in the state due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has shuttered all of the state's schools until at least May 1. [More]

CELINA - The first wave of absentee ballots left the Mercer County Board of Elections office on Monday in accordance with recently enacted state legislation that, among other provisions, extends absentee voting-by-mail for the primary election due to the coronavirus pandemic. [More]

CELINA - Ohioans who didn't get to cast a ballot in the presidential primary election on March 17 because the polls were ordered closed can do so via an absentee ballot that can be delivered or mailed to the board of elections.

In light of extended voting opportunities, Mercer County elections officials gave a rundown of how to request and fill out an absentee ballot, particularly for people accustomed to voting in-person at their polling location on Election Day. [More]

Teachers, parents and students are cooperating as schools have students learn from home.

Schools have been closed since Gov. Mike DeWine ordered that all public, community and private K-12 schools close at the end of the school day March 16 and remain closed through at least April 3. The order stipulated that during the closure, teachers should educate through alternative means. [More]

CELINA - The world may seem like it's been brought to a standstill, but the Mercer County Board for Developmental Disabilities is still working to provide services and bring a little cheer to locals with disabilities.

Many staff members are working remotely as they continue helping families get supplies or information, while direct-care providers continue to provide hands-on service. [More]

WAPAKONETA - An Auglaize County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an Auglaize County Health Department news release, the first for that county.

Health commissioner Oliver Fisher said the department received the positive test result from an Ohio Department of Health lab at 4:25 p.m. Friday. The person is a 65-year-old female, who is being treated at a local hospital. [More]

Bears have been popping up all over the area, peeking out of windows and perching on porches, waiting to be discovered by families on the hunt.

Care Bears have invaded Brooke Wente's shop, Lather: A Hair Company for Him and Her in New Bremen, but for her and her three kids, Lucy, 6; Jack, 4; and Olive, 2, the hunt didn't end there. By Wednesday morning, her kids were excited to hit the sidewalks to see just how many bears they could find lurking in the community. [More]

ST. MARYS - Mayor Patrick McGowan reassured residents that water, sewer, electric, police, fire and EMS services will be provided in the face of the coranavirus pandemic.

Officials have limited access to city buildings and having employees work remotely, he said in a news release. Non-essential services such as brush pickup and curbside recycling pickup will face temporary disruptions or interruptions until further notice. [More]

NEW BREMEN - The iconic image of Rosie the Riveter has become the symbol for a local organization whose volunteers have stepped up to help keep area health care workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blanketeer founder Emilie Britton of New Bremen changed gears in recent days. The group that typically sews blankets for people in hospitals or nursing homes or anyone needing comfort, is also making protective face masks. [More]

Many people know Brew Nation and Lake Rat Brewing Co. for their food, beer and live events, but the local hangout has been closed since Gov. Mike DeWine's executive order barring dine-in dining and drinking due to the coronavirus pandemic. [More]

Due to the continually evolving COVID-19 pandemic and recent state orders, Mercer County District Library in Celina and its branches in St. Henry, Chickasaw and Mendon are closed until further notice. Curbside service at the Celina branch will no longer be offered. [More]

ATLANTA - The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to Ohio small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19), SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced on Friday. [More]

Mercer Health is postponing elective surgeries and procedures. Patients affected by this change will be contacted directly from their physician's office.

Elective status of surgical cases will be determined by the clinical judgment of Mercer Health physicians using criteria to ensure the safety and well-being of patients. Surgical procedures deemed necessary to avoid risk to life, permanent dysfunction, progression of disease or risk of rapidly worsening symptoms will still be performed. [More]

CELINA - Mercer County Common Pleas Court will increase the availability and use of hand sanitizers and increase efforts to disinfect hard surfaces.

Personal attendance for court proceedings will be decreased in favor of proceedings done via telecommunication, including video proceedings done in partnership with the Mercer County jail for on-record proceedings. [More]

The following events/locations have been canceled, postponed or temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Autism Life Center's in-person Regional Disability Conference & Resource Fair, which had been scheduled for March 28 in Lima, has been canceled. Officials are working on creating an online platform. [More]

CELINA - In response to the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, the Mercer County Health District has increased its incident command system structure to full activation.

As of Monday, 3,487 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 68 deaths were reported in 49 states. Ohio reported 50 confirmed cases and 14 hospitalizations due to the virus. District officials report no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county. [More]

From staff reports
CELINA - The coronavirus test on a local resident has come back negative, according to a Mercer County Health District news release.
On Wednesday, the district reported that a resident was being tested for novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. On Friday, district officials were notified that the test did not detect the virus. [More]

Local educators are among those scrambling to deal with the governor's order to close all kindergarten through 12th-grade schools in Ohio for three weeks due to the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis.

Leaders of businesses, churches and social groups also are taking steps to avoid gathering large groups of people. Events including this weekend's St. Patrick's Day celebration in St. Henry have been canceled. [More]

Following the lead of professional sports leagues suspending their seasons and the NCAA calling off March Madness, the Ohio High School Athletic Association postponed indefinitely the remaining winter sports tournaments on Thursday. [More]

CELINA - The coronavirus will probably make its way to Mercer County, however, residents should not give into fear, one county official said on Tuesday.

"We want to urge people to be prepared, and we want to be prepared as a health department and know that something could be coming that's worse than what we've got right now, but we're not running around saying 'the sky is falling,' either," Mercer County Health District Administrator Jason Menchhofer said. [More]

PIQUA - U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, is confident the federal government has the resources and capability to handle the coronavirus COVID-19, saying the media coverage of the outbreak has been somewhat hyped.

Davidson addressed the virus at Saturday's 2020 Farm Forum held at Edison State Community College in Piqua, where he also laid out his top agriculture-based legislative priorities to an audience of farmers and agriculture advocates. [More]